With more than one million page views and more than 4,000 items, this blog provides news and commentary on public policy, business and economic issues related to the $3 billion California stem cell agency, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine(CIRM). David Jensen, a retired California newsman, has published this blog since January 2005. His email address is djensen@californiastemcellreport.com.

Monday, November 10, 2008

The vice chairman of the $3 billion California stem cell agency, Ed Penhoet, has resigned from his post, but CIRM announced Monday afternoon that he will remain as one of the 29 members of the board of directors.

The statement by CIRM came only hours after the California Stem Cell Report said that Penhoet "denied scuttlebutt in the California stem cell community that he is leaving the board." However, the item also said incorrectly that he denied he "is stepping down as its vice chairman." That item was based on a one-sentence response from Penhoet that did not address all the questions we asked him on Saturday. (More on that below.)

We also queried CIRM early this morning on the matter, asking Don Gibbons, chief communications officer, for comment on reports that Penhoet was stepping down. No response was forthcoming from Gibbons on the matter.

CIRM's press release, which has not yet been posted on its website, said Penhoet was stepping down because of "the time constraints of this leadership position."

CIRM said:

"However, Penhoet has accepted the appointment by Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi to one of the board’s member positions designated for the life sciences commercial sector."

Penhoet was not quoted in the CIRM press release on the leadership change, which said that the co-founder of Chiron will continue to head the CIRM IP Task Force.

The move clears the way for nomination of a new vice chair by the state's constitutional officers, such as governor and lieutenant governor. It is likely that CIRM Chairman Robert Klein will make suggestions for possible nominees. Former CIRM board member Tina Nova has been mentioned as a candidate, but she said earlier today that no one has approached her about serving in that capacity. She also said she has "no plans to return to the CIRM board."

The full CIRM board must vote on the vice chair, selecting from the nominees. The post carries a salary of up to $332,000 annually. Penhoet did not accept a salary, raising a question whether the next vice chair will. If so, it also raises the possibility that Klein, who also has not accepted pay, will seek the $508,750 salary for which he is eligible. He has repeatedly said he may seek a salary at some point.

Some of you may wonder about some of the details involved in preparing our original item below that reported incorrectly that Penhoet said he was not stepping down. Our email query to Penhoet on Saturday said,

"I am planning on writing an item that will say that California stem cell scuttlebutt has it that you are resigning as vice chair of the ICOC. Is that correct?"

Penhoet's response:

"I have no intention of leaving the board, David."

We then asked,

"I may be parsing this too finely, but do you intend to imply that you would remain on the board but give up the vice chair position? Thanks."

Penhoet did not respond to that question. We notified him early this afternoon that our original item had been posted but have received no further communications.

CIRM was queried at 7:35 a.m. California time today about the subject but has not responded to us as of this writing.
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About Me

The California Stem Cell Report is the only nongovernmental website devoted solely to the $3 billion California stem cell agency. The report is published by David Jensen, who worked for 22 years for The Sacramento Bee in a variety of editing positions, including executive business editor and special projects editor. He was the primary editor on the 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning series, "The Monkey Wars" by Deborah Blum, which dealt with opposition to research on primates. Jensen served as a press aide in the 1974 campaign and first administration of Gov. Jerry Brown. (Time served: two years and one week.) He writes from his sailboat on the west coast of Mexico with occasional visits to land. Jensen began writing about the stem cell agency in 2005, noting that it is an unprecedented effort that uniquely combines big science, big business, big academia, big politics, religion, ethics and morality as well as life and death. The California Stem Cell Report has been identified as one of the best stem cell sites on the Internet. Its readership includes the media (both mainstream and science), a wide range of academic/research institutions globally, the NIH and California policy makers.